# Is backup enough to restore everything?

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-backup-enough-to-restore-everything/379499
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [August 20, 2025, 6:28pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-backup-enough-to-restore-everything/379499 "2025-08-20T18:28:26Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![alltiagocom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/alltiagocom/32/492709_2.png) [@alltiagocom](https://meta.discourse.org/u/alltiagocom)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 6:28pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-backup-enough-to-restore-everything/379499/1 "2025-08-20T18:28:26Z")

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Is the Backup in `/admin/backups` (including the uploads) enough to restore 100% of my forum?  
I’m thinking of disabling both my forums until Jan, so I can first focus on other priorities and avoid distractions.

If I just install Discourse again from scratch, then enable Restore:

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/4X/1/0/7/1078cb2c611640ee84f702fd12eef5035295bf3f.png)

and restore it from that backup, will my forum go back to being what it is today?

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### Author: ![merefield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/merefield/32/176214_2.png) [@merefield](https://meta.discourse.org/u/merefield)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 6:55pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-backup-enough-to-restore-everything/379499/2 "2025-08-20T18:55:28Z")

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you need a copy of your app.yml ideally too. so that if you migrate to a new server you have all that config ready to go.

also make sure you are either using S3 uploads, or you have all your uploads saved in your backup.

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### Author: ![alltiagocom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/alltiagocom/32/492709_2.png) [@alltiagocom](https://meta.discourse.org/u/alltiagocom)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2025, 7:13pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-backup-enough-to-restore-everything/379499/3 "2025-08-20T19:13:42Z")

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> [@merefield](#):
>
> you need a copy of your app.yml ideally too. so that if you migrate to a new server you have all that config ready to go.

Good tip. Thanks!

> [@merefield](#):
>
> or you have all your uploads saved in your backup.

Yes, I always include that with the backups.

So I guess I’m good to go:

- app.yml ✅
- Backup file + uploads ✅

Appreciate it, Robert! 🙌

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### Author: ![system](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/system/32/443519_2.png) [@system](https://meta.discourse.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [September 19, 2025, 7:14pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-backup-enough-to-restore-everything/379499/4 "2025-09-19T19:14:39Z")

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